I haven't thought about Radiohead at all in about a year, really, not since I got to go see them kill it at the Greek Theater last year in Berkeley about this time.  To be honest, I don't think about them much at all anymore, but they are one of those bands that has meant a lot to me over the years.  With news today that Radiohead's new album is nearing completion, I thought it might be the right time to build a little anticipation and revisit some of their finer songs and videos.

People always want to whine that Radiohead are overblown, that they are not nearly as great as everyone always says.  I defy those people to listen to these songs and watch these videos and tell me this band is not fantastic.  Well, I do understand that not everyone wants to listen to some white overeducated English dudes complaining about alienation and having issues with technology.  I do get that.  Maybe it just doesn't float your boat.  But please, people, don't try to tell me this isn't a great and powerful band.  To each his own.  I also recognize that by thinking and talking about how Radiohead is great, I am sounding like a regular old Record Store Nerd.  But why hide who I am?  Oh well.

Oh, and I do agree that their last couple albums have not been fully up to speed....but when you have put out albums like OK Computer and The Bends, what are you gonna do??

This is "Karma Police" from OK Computer.



Effing awesome video, right?  Usually I tend to think most videos take more away from the music than they contribute to it, but this is one of those rare exceptions where I watch it and think, "Whoa" (not to quote icky Keanu Reeves).

Friday found me at Villa Sombrero in Highland Park doing what else, drinking Margaritas. The Margaritas there are as big as the ones they make at El Conquistador, but not as potent. Jo and I are eating chips and salsa, sipping our drinks. The Dodger game is on the TV and most of the patrons are only glancing at it from time to time as they talk among friends and family. This is as neighborhood as they come. The restaurant is near the corner where York meets Figueroa in what looks like used to be a house. On the T.V., Luis Gonzalez is up with Jeff Kent on second base. When Luis was with the Diamondbacks and Kent with the Giants I hated these guys, but now with the Dodgers I like them. Yes, I’m a Dodger fan and I’m petty like that.

Gonzalez hits the ball to deep center field. Vin Scully gives his familiar, “...back to the track, to the wall…” Just as the ball is going over the fence, a young waitress in a white Mexican dress and matching orthopedic shoes changes the channel. It’s K-Cal, your official station for high-speed car chases. Why anyone is that interested in high speed chases is beyond me, but soon everyone is transfixed on the TV screen. It is a car racing down residential streets followed by police and the K-Cal copter filming up above. At the bottom of the screen it shows the name of the city where the chase is happening. It reads:


Everyone at the restaurant gives out a howl as their home town is on T.V. Someone shouts out, “Orale Highland Park!” with pride and everyone laughs.  At that moment I see some I recognize come through the front door.

This is the third and final part in this particular graffiti-outside-Amoeba Music, San Francisco photo gallery. In the future there will be another series of pictures (some new, some not included here, and some of the same pieces from different angles) from outside Amoeba Music, San Francisco.

That next upcoming series will also include some of the graffiti in the immediate surrounding area on Haight Street - such as that parking lot on the corner and the building directly across from Amoeba on the other side of Haight Street.

But for now here are more shots of graf in that alley on that one side of the Amoeba building off Haight Street. As with the other two parts in this series - posted a few days ago - please feel free to add any stories (good or bad) or opinions (pro or con) on graffiti, or the URLS linking to cool graffiti websites, etc.,  in the COMMENTS box (scroll way down) below. Thanks!

I don't know why people have to contact me via myspace when they could show me some mad props in the comments field on amoeba.com/blog!!!  But ... whatever. I love you!

Here it is, you lazy internet tweedles: Mouth and MacNeil!!!!!


Of course, when Uni and I perform this song, there will be much much less sexual tension, though no one can eradicate the sensual power of this song! If you are in Scotland, Paris or arounds about England, check Uni's myspace page for tour dates in your area! Don't miss out on this magical extravaganza!!

Ding!

-- Brickly

Gary Floyd deserves major credit, not just for being such a talented artist but for being an openly gay front person of a punk band in Texas in the late seventies/early eighties.   And this he boldly did as the powerhouse vocalist for legendary hardcore punk band the Dicks, the self-described "commie faggot" blues-derived,  hardcore punk band who released their brilliant, rage-fueled first single, "Dicks Hate the Police," in 1980 on (fellow Austin punks) MDC's R Radical record label. This song, which many later learnt via Mudhoney covering it or (Gary's next band) Sister Double Happiness performing it, is a timeless, punk classic (see lyrics below) and is currently available on "The Dicks 1980-1986" on Alternative Tentacles.   After the Dicks' demise the tireless Gary Floyd, who has lived in San Francisco for the past 25 years, went on to form Sister Double Happiness, Black Kali Ma, the Gary Floyd Band, Hard Ride and currently the raw blues/country Gary Floyd and the Buddha Brothers. Last week the Buddha Brothers performed at the Make Out Room in San Francisco on a bill with Penelope Houston who sings on one their songs ("Take it Like A Man") and who joined them onstage. This week and next week Gary will be in the studio with the Buddha Brothers recording new tracks. Last week on my radio show on WFMU I had the opportunity to catch up with Gary, who in addition to music also paints, to talk about Austin, being queer, and how the formation of the Dicks was based on a lot drinking and telling lies.

GARY FLOYD:   I started putting up posters around town (Austin) saying that the Dicks are playing and I would make up club names. So it was just a poster band. It was a lie. So I put up these things saying the Dicks are playing. And people would say "Oh you're in the Dicks?" And I would say 'Yeah' and they would lie to me and say 'Oh I've seen the Dicks' and I would look at them and think (laughs) 'You're a bigger liar than I am!' And then I met Buxf (Parrot) and Glen (Taylor) one night and they wanted to be in a band. And then we got Pat (Deason) and we started the Dicks. It was all started with a lot of drinking and a lot of lying.